§ Mr. O'GRADYasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is 821W aware that Messrs. Burberry and Company, of London, Reading, Basingstoke, and Winchester, have recently refused to receive the accredited representatives of their workpeople, and have informed these workpeople that, as a condition of further employment, they must discontinue their membership of the Garment Workers' Trade Union, and that on this issue a dispute involving some hundreds of women is now in progress at the factory of the firm at Reading; whether any contracts for clothing for cadets have been placed with Messrs. Burberry; and, if so, will he take steps either to terminate these or I other current contracts with the firm or alternately to require the firm to conform to the letter and spirit of the Fair-Wages Clause?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe attention of the Department has already been drawn by the Garment Workers Trade Union to the dispute referred to in the question, and the secretary of the union has been informed that, as the firm do not hold any War Office contracts, the Department is not concerned.